1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roller skate and a wheel assembly for the roller skate.
2. Description of the Related Art
The wheels of a typical roller skate are fixed to an underside of the roller skate, and the user has to wear a pair of shoes (generally sport shoes) before putting the roller skates on. The user cannot walk on rugged surfaces when wearing the roller skates. Thus, the user faces troublesome actions of putting on and taking off of the roller skates when he/she starts or stops skating.
Taiwan Utility Model Publication No. 339688 issued on Sep. 1, 1998 discloses a roller skate includes a base and a number of wheels that can be pivoted to storage positions in the base such that the user may directly walk through rugged surfaces without troublesome actions of taking off and re-putting on of the roller skates. As can be seen from FIG. 7 of the drawings, the base 1 includes two shoulder sections 2 to which the wheel seats 3 may bear against during skating. However, when walking on an inclined surface, one of the wheel seats 3 might be pivoted into the storage compartment 4 in the base 1. The wheel seats 3 might also be pivoted into the storage compartments 4 if they impinge objects on the ground. The skater might be injured as a result of losing balance.
The present invention is intended to provide a wheel assembly for a roller skate that mitigates and/or obviates the above problem.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a roller skate having two wheel assemblies that can be moved to the storage positions when not in use and that can be retained in operative statuses when skating.
A wheel assembly for a roller skate in accordance with the present invention comprises:
a pivotal seat having a first end secured to a base of the roller skate and a second end;
a wheel seat having a first end pivotally connected to the second end of the pivotal seat by a pin and a second end;
a wheel rotatably mounted to the second end of the wheel seat, the wheel seat further including a mounting member;
a first elastic member having a first end attached to the pivotal seat and a second end attached to the mounting member of the wheel seat for biasing the wheel seat to a storage position in the base,
a stopping means including a first end mounted to the pin and a second end through which the mounting member is extended, the stopping means further including a stop; and
a second elastic member mounted around the pin for biasing the stop of the stopping means to a position for releasably engaging with the wheel seat to prevent the wheel seat from moving into the storage position in the base.
By such arrangement, the wheel seat may be moved into the base when not skating. When skating is required, the wheel seat and the wheel are extended beyond the base, and the stop may prevent the wheel seat from entering the base during skating, thereby preventing potential injury to the skater.
The present invention also provides a roller skate that comprises:
a base having at least two compartments, the base further having a corresponding number of shoulders defined in said at least two compartments, respectively;
a corresponding number of wheel assemblies each of which is mounted in an associated said compartment, each said wheel assembly including:
a pivotal seat having a first end secured to the base and a second end,
a wheel seat having a first end pivotally connected to the second end of the pivotal seat by a pin and a second end,
a wheel rotatably mounted to the second end of the wheel seat, the wheel seat further including a mounting member;
a first elastic member having a first end attached to the pivotal seat and a second end attached to the mounting member of the wheel seat for biasing the wheel seat into the associated compartment in the base;
a stopping means including a first end mounted to the pin and a second end through which the mounting member is extended, the stopping means further including a stop; and
a second elastic member mounted around the pin for biasing the stop of the stopping means to a position for releasably engaging with the wheel seat; and
an upper mounted on top of the base.
Each wheel seat is pivotable between an operative position and a storage position in the associated compartment. When each wheel seat is in the operative position, each wheel seat bears against an associated shoulder while the wheel rotatably attached to each wheel seat extends beyond the base for skating. In addition, when each wheel assembly is in the operative position, the stop of each stopping means is engagable with an associated wheel seat to prevent the associated wheel seat from entering the associated compartment.